Apparatus for tow treatment



Dec. 1, 1964 w. R. OSBAN APPARATUS FOR Tow TREATMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 18, 1962 IN VII'ZRN TOR.

William .Osbun A T TORNE Y Dec, 1, 1964 w. R. OSBAN 3,159,017

APPARATUS FOR TOW TREATMENT Filed June 18. 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. William R. Osbcm A T TOR/V5 Y United States Patent 3,159,017 APPARATUS FOR TQW 'IREATMEN'I William R. Gshan, Gulf Breeze, Fla, assiguor to American (Iyanamid Qompany, Stamford, Conn, a corporation of Maine Filed June 18, 1952, Ser. No. 263,077 5 Claims. (Cl. 68-43) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in apparatus for continuously treating endless lengths of filamentary material arranged in a tow band with a suitable treatment liquid.

The terms tow and tow band are intended to comprehend an association in a substantially parallel configuration of a relatively large number of endless filaments which are not securely bound to each other and, as such, are relatively free for displacement relative to each other by the exertion of forces tending to separate from each other the filaments of which they are comprised. Such tow or tow band may comprise from a few hundred up to several million or more continuous filaments arranged substantially parallel to each other as a discrete bundle.

Within the context of this invention, the composiuon of such filamentary material is not important and, as such, it may comprise any of the usual compositions from which filamentary materials may be produced such as nylon, rayon, polyester, polyacrylonitrile, vinyl polymers and copolymers, glass, etc. The treatment liquid referred to may be any suitable liquid with which it may be desired to uniformly treat the filaments in such a tow whether it be for the purpose of scouring, washing, bleaching, dyeing, or applying other liquids, such as acids or alkalis, to impart useful properties to the filaments of which such tow may be composed.

More particularly, this invention relates to an improvement over the apparatus of Sellers, US. Patent 2,886,403, issued May 12, 1959, and has for an object improvement in the uniformity with which the treatment liquid contacts the individual filaments within the tow band so as to produce greater uniformity of treatment thereof.

Briefly, this improvement comprises continuously modifying the cross-sectional shape of the tow band during its passage in a serpentine path around the various rollers while applying the treatment liquid thereto. In the case of a relatively large tow band, this invention also contemplates sub-dividing such relatively large tow band into a plurality of smaller tow bands, all of which are led in parallel through the serpentine path and which are alternately expanded and contracted in width while the treatment liquid is being applied thereto. This novel apparatus is preferably constructed by replacing certain of the cylindrical rolls which define the serpentine path of Sellers, US. Patent 2,886,403 with a novel type of non-cylindrical roll, such novel rolls being interspersed among the cylindrical rolls defining such serpentine path. These novel rolls preferably comprise a center shaft about which a plurality of wavy bars are disposed in a cage-like configuration, such Wavy bars being so arranged that any given cross-section perpendicular to the axis of such roll is circular but, as one moves from one end of the roll to the other, the circular cross-sections alternately increase and decrease in diameter.

For a clearer understanding of this invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawings which, taken with the subjoined description, depict an illustrative embodiment thereof, and wherein FIGURE 1 is a schematic view in elevation illustrating one form of apparatus for performing the novel method of this invention;

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FIGURE 2 is a partial view taken on line IIII of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged view partially broken away of a novel non-cylindrical roll according to this invention.

Referring next to the drawings and, more particu larly, to FIGURE 1 thereof, an apparatus for performing the process of this invention is illustrated which is seen to comprise a plurality of upper rolls 11a, 11b, 11c, 11d, 11e, 117', 11g, 1171, and 112', and a plurality of lower rolls 13a, 13b, 13c, 13d, 13a, 131, 13g, and 13h defining a serpentine path through which tow 16 is led. Lower rolls 13a through 1311 are positioned within trough 18 so as to be immersed within liquid 19 contained therein. Positioned on a level slightly below upper rolls 11a through 111' are a plurality of sprays 21 adapted to spray treatment liquid onto tow band 16, the excess of such treatment liquid falling into trough 18 to overflow from outlet 24 along with excess liquid from inlet 23.

In accordance with this invention, the various rolls are of two types, one type being a cylindrical roll such as roll 11c (see FIGURE 2) and the other being a novel non-cylindrical roll, such as 13:: (see FIGURES 2 and 3) interspersed among the cylindrical rolls.

The non-cylindrical rolls, such as 13, each comprise a central shaft 27, which may be hollow or solid, journaled for rotation in bearings 28 which are mounted on a suitable support, not shown. Shaft 27 is provided with a plurality of annular supports fill, 301 to which a plurality of Wavy bars 31 are aifixed, as by Welding, in a cage-like configuration. Wavy bars 31 are all substantially identical to each other and similarly positioned so that the cage-like configuration thus produced about central shaft 27 has a circular cross-section which varies in size along the length of roll 13c. Each wavy bar 31 preferably has a sinuous configuration wherein the portions of such bar closest to the axis of the cagelike configuration is smoothly curved (as illustrated in FIGURES 2 and 3) where the tow band contacts it. While the shape of the bar 31 in the regions out of contact with the tow band is not critical, it is preferred that they also be smoothly curved thereby giving the entire wavy bar 31 an approximately sinusoidal configuration.

Referring again to FIGURE 1, the novel non-cylindrical rolls of this invention are interspersed among the cylindrical rolls, as by using such novel non-cylindrical rolls at positions 13a, 13c, 132, and 13g and by using cylindrical rolls at the remainder of the positions. It will thus be noted that in such case every fourth roll is a novel non-cylindrical roll, although more or less such rolls may be used.

In operation, a relatively wide tow band 16 is introduced to roll 11a and is subdivided into a plurality of smaller tow bands 16a, 15b, 16c, 16d, etc. which pass in a serpentine path around cylindrical rolls and noncylindrical rolls which, as illustrated in an exaggerated fashion in FIGURE 2, alternately expand and contract the width of each of such relatively narrow small tow bands being treated. This modification of the cross-sectional shape of the tow bands (from relatively wide and thin to relatively narrow and thick and vice-versa) causes relative movement of the individual filaments with respect to each other, permiting greatly improved penetration into the tow of treatment liquid from sprays 21 and/or trough 13 resulting in greater uniformity of treatment or" the entire tow by such treatment liquid.

In a specific installation, operated for treating an endless tow of filaments comprising a polymer containing at least 70% acrylonitrile copolymerized with one or more vinyl monomers in order to wash such filamentary material while in the wet gel state free of contaminants, it has been found desirable to use an apparatus substantially as illustrated in FIGURES 1 to 3 and as described in detail above. This was found to provide improved removal of contaminants from such filamentary material as compared with a similar apparatus wherein all rollers were of cylindrical configuration.

While this invention has been illustrated and described in terms of a specific embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the details therein except insofar as such limitations appear in the subjoined claims.

For example, when processing a tow which is relatively small (i.e., comprises a relatively small number of filaments) it may be unnecessary to subdivide such tow into a plurality of smaller tow bands. In such case, the noncylindrical roller of this invention may be provided with only a single region of relatively smaller cross-sectional area between a pair of regions of relatively larger crosssectional area in the fashion illustrated as a single section of roller 13c between an adjacent pair of annular supports 30, 30. Also, While the cylindrical roll has been shown as having a continuous periphery, it is readily apparent that such cylindrical roll may comprise a pinrality of straight bars arranged in a cylindrical cagelike configuration.

In all of these modifications, it is to be noted that the changing cross-sectional shape of the tow band being treated with liquid causes a relative displacement of the various filaments of which such tow is composed thereby modifying the sizes and shapes of the interstices therebetween causing the liquid to be circulated into and out from the body of the tow band by a sort of inhaling and exhaling action generated from the changing shape of the cross-section of the tow band.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for treating with liquid a continuously moving endless tow comprising a plurality of rolls about which said endless tow is directed in a serpentine path, some of said rolls being non-cylindrical rolls comprising a plurality of substantially identical wavy bars, a central shaft, and means supported by said central shaft for supporting said Wavy bars in a cage-like configuration about said central shaft with said bars undulating radially toward and away from said central shaft to form at least one valley of minimum diameter between crests of maximum diameter along the length of said cage-like configuration, said cake-like configuration being everywhere substantially circular in cross-section and some of said rolls being. cylindrical, said non-cylindrical rolls being interspersed among said cylindrical rolls along said serpentine path and means for applying liquid to said tow while moving along said serpentine path.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for applying liquid comprises means for spraying liquid onto said tow along its path between said rolls.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for applying liquid comprises means for containing a body of liquid through which said tow is passed while in contact with some of said rolls.

4. Apparatus for treating with liquid a continuously moving endless tow comprising a plurality of rolls about which said endless tow is directed in a serpentine path, some of said rolls being non-cylindrical rolls comprising a plurality of substantially identical Wavy bars, a central shaft, and means supported by said central shaft for supporting said Wavy bars in a cage-like configuration about said central shaft with said bars undulating radially toward and away from said central shaft to form a series of valleys of minimum diameter between crests of maximum diameter along the length of said cage-like configuration, said cage-like configuration being everywhere substantially circular in cross-section and some of said rolls being cylindrical, said non-cylindrical rolls being interspersed among said cylindrical rolls along said serpentine path and means for applying liquid to said tow While moving along said serpentine path.

5. Apparatus for treating with liquid a continuously moving endless tow comprising a plurality of rolls about which said endless tow is directed in a serpentine path, some of said rolls being non-cylindrical rolls of circular cross-section each configurated to define at least one valley of minimum diameter between crests of maximum diameter along the length thereof, and some of said rolls being cylindrical, said non-cylindrical rolls being interspersed among said cylindrical rolls along said serpentine path and being supported within a body of treatment liquid located within a means for containing such treatment liquid.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 338,096 Meikle Mar. 16, 1886 1,148,695 King Aug. 3, 1915 I 1,444,638 Pease Feb. 6, 1923 2,071,090 Simonds Feb. 16, 1937 2,309,328 Polk Jan. 26, 1943 2,312,678 Spencer Mar. 2, 1943 2,474,717 Belcher June 28, 1948 2,538,628 Pendleton Ian. 16, 1951 2,694,307 Henry Nov. 16, 1954 2,786,736 Roughsedge Mar. 26, 1957 2,803,172 Trotman Aug. 20, 1957 2,886,403 Sellers May 12, 1959 2,949,189 Haines Aug. 16, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 500,433 Belgium Jan. 31, 1951 944,064 Germany June 7, 1956 

1. APPARATUS FOR TREATING WITH LIQUID A CONTINUOUSLY MOVING ENDLESS TOW COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF ROLLS ABOUT WHICH SAID ENDLESS TOW IS DIRECTED IN A SERPENTINE PATH, SOME OF SAID ROLLS BEING NON-CYLINDRICAL ROLLS COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF SUBSTANTIALLY IDENTICAL WAVY BARS, A CENTRAL SHAFT, AND MEANS SUPPORTED BY SAID CENTRAL SHAFT FOR SUPPORTING SAID WAVY BARS IN A CAGE-LIKE CONFIGURATION ABOUT SAID CENTRAL SHAFT WITH SAID BARS UNDULATING RADIALLY TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID CENTRAL SHAFT TO FORM AT LEAST ONE VALLEY OF MINIMUM DIAMETER BETWEEN CRESTS OF MAXIMUM DIAMETER ALONG THE LENGTH OF SAID CAGE-LIKE CONFIGURATION, SAID CAKE-LIKE CONFIGURATION BEING EVERYWHERE SUBSTANTIALLY CIRCULAR IN CROSS-SECTION AND SOME OF SAID ROLLS BEING CYLINDRICAL, SAID NON-CYLINDRICAL ROLLS BEING INTERSPERSED AMONG SAID CYLINDRICAL ROLLS ALONG SAID SERPENTINE PATH AND MEANS FOR APPLYING LIQUID TO SAID TOW WHILE MOVING ALONG SAID SERPENTINE PATH. 